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April the Giraffe, whose pregnancy captivated the world in 2017 and racked up millions of YouTube views, has died after her arthritis became too much to bear ... according to Animal Adventure Park in NY.

The zoo announced that April's most recent veterinary exam revealed her condition was worsening, "prompting the determination that euthanasia was the humane and appropriate course of action."

It adds ... "We credit and thank the outstanding collective care provided by the park's veterinarians and animal care team with keeping April happy and healthy during her more than five year stay at Animal Adventure."

April will reportedly be cremated after her necropsy and her ashes will be returned to the zoo.

As we reported ... millions of viewers tuned in to the park's live stream of April in Spring 2017 in anticipation of her giving birth, and she kept everyone waiting for weeks.

When April's calf finally popped out on April 15, more than 1.2 million were watching ... including us. The baby giraffe, a boy, was named Tajiri.

When it was all said and done, Animal Adventure Park became the second most live-viewed channel in YouTube's history at the time with 232 million live views from February to May.

Sadly, April is preceded in death by her youngest son, Azizi, who was born in March 2019 but unexpectedly died at a Texas zoo last year.

Giraffes commonly live up to 26 years, but April didn't quite make it that long.

She was 20.

Roy Williams -- one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time -- is announcing his retirement after 33 seasons as an NCAA head coach.

The 70-year-old icon has been the head coach at North Carolina since 2003 -- and won 3 NCAA titles during his 18 seasons with the Tar Heels (2005, 2009 and 2017).

Before UNC, Williams was the head coach at Kansas from 1988 to 2003.

Williams -- who graduated from UNC in 1972 -- has not announced the specific reason for his retirement. He's expected to address the media at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Williams has coached legends from Paul Pierce to Harrison Barnes and many, many more.

His overall record at UNC is 485-163 -- reaching the Final Four with the Tar Heels 6 times and capturing 9 ACC regular-season championships

Williams was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2007.

As a college head coach, he's racked up 903 wins during his 33 seasons -- which places him 3rd on the all-time wins list by a Division I head coach.

UNC issued a statement saying, "After 33 years as a Hall of Fame head coach, our beloved Tar Heel Roy Williams is announcing his retirement.   Thank you for all you have done and meant to everyone who plays and loves our game."

Legendary college hoops announcer Dick Vitale also weighed in ... "OMG I thought it was April Fools joke but it is TRUE Hall of Famer ROY WILLIAMS is retiring."

"He’s been so good that he is one of my MT RUSHMORES OF COACHING in my 40 + yrs. Bob Knight - Coach K - Dean Smith - ROY WILLIAMS / Thanks for ALL the memories!"

Ex-NFL WR Kenbrell Thompkins -- who famously caught TDs from Tom Brady in 2013 -- is now facing over 10 years in prison after he allegedly committed identity theft and fraud.

Federal prosecutors in court docs say the 32-year-old former Jets, Raiders and Patriots wideout stole identities to illegally obtain cash that was intended for people who were financially reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

In the docs, prosecutors say Thompkins used personal information from multiple people to apply for financial aid in California in Aug. 2020.

Investigators claim when the requests were granted, Thompkins was sent the money in the form of debit cards. Prosecutors claim they then caught the ex-NFL player on surveillance video using them to withdraw cash at Florida Bank of America locations.

Investigators say in total, Thompkins' "scheme involves approximately $300,000 in California unemployment insurance funds credited to the fraudulent debit cards." Of the $300K, investigators claim Thompkins withdrew around $230,000.

Court records show Thompkins has been hit with 1 charge of use of one or more unauthorized access devices and 2 charges of aggravated identity theft.

If convicted on all counts, Thompkins is facing over 10 years behind bars.

Thompkins broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with New England in 2013 ... and he had a solid rookie year, tallying 32 catches for 466 yards and 4 TDs.

The Cleveland Indians will NOT allow fans to wear headdresses or mimic Native American facepaint at Progressive Field this season ... the team officially banned it all Wednesday.

The club -- which is reopening its doors to fans at games in 2021 -- says it's all part of a team effort to eliminate cultural appropriation at its stadium.

In the announcement, Indians officials said violations of the new rules could result in ejection or a straight-up denial of entry into games.

As we previously reported, the Kansas City Chiefs issued a similar ban on headdresses and facepaint at their Arrowhead Stadium games in 2020.

Cleveland's baseball team is also currently in the process of changing its team name -- the same way Washington's NFL squad parted ways with its longstanding nickname last year.

The Indians -- which eliminated the offensive Chief Wahoo logo from its uniforms in 2019 and instead has opted for a block C emblem -- say the change could happen as soon as the 2022 season.

Scary moment for the Utah Jazz ... the team's plane was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff Tuesday after a bird strike.

Donovan Mitchell and the rest of his squadmates were off to Memphis for their Wednesday game against the Grizzlies ... when just minutes into their flight, the plane suffered engine troubles.

Delta officials confirmed the issue was due to contact with birds ... saying in a statement, "As the aircraft was taking off it hit a flock of birds. The left engine was shut down, the pilot declared an emergency in return to Salt Lake International Airport."

"Aircraft landed without incident and was able to taxi back."

Flight records show the plane was only in the air for a matter of seconds before it had to come back to the runway. Delta officials say they're working on getting a new plane for the team.

Fortunately, it appears no one was injured during the tense moments ... and Mitchell seemed to celebrate that good news by tweeting out a praying emoji after the incident.

As of now, the Jazz are still set to take on the Grizzlies in Tennessee at 5 PM PT on Wednesday.

We know what you're thinking ... and yes -- a bird strike is what forced U.S. Airways Flight 1549 to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River back in 2009.

Remember, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger lost all engine power after striking a flock of Canada geese.

Fortunately in both cases, with Sully and the Jazz, the plane landed safely with no major injuries.

Lil Nas X is in the middle of a holy war now -- legally speaking -- because Nike's going after the company making his controversial "Satan Shoes" ... a devilish connection Nike wants no part of.

The shoe giant is suing MSCHF Product Studio ... the company that collaborated with the rapper to produce the Satan Shoe, aka the "blood shoes."

If you haven't heard ... Lil Nas has been hyping the customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes which feature the pentagram symbol, a Bible verse that references Satan, and allegedly a drop of blood from one of MSCHF's employees. There are also only 666 pairs being made, and they're selling for over a grand.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Nike claims the company's tricking consumers into thinking it approved the Satan-themed shoes, but Nike insists it didn't authorize it and "is in no way connected with this project."

Nike claims MSCHF buys the shoes from Nike, then the artists it works with make their own creative modifications before selling them at a higher price.

Nike's suing for trademark infringement because the famous Swoosh logo is still prominently featured on X's shoes. It wants damages, and perhaps more importantly for Nas X ... Nike wants the judge to block all sales of the Satan Shoe.

The Satan Shoe sparked outrage within the sports world ... with stars like Trevor Lawrence and Nick Young voicing their disgust with the product.

"Line has to be drawn somewhere. Smh," the future first-overall pick in the NFL Draft said.

Young added ... "My kids will never play Old Town road again.. I’m still debating about wearing @Nike after this come [on] nike a drop of blood for real."

Young later apologized after finding out the Swoosh did NOT approve of the shoe.

NBA star DeMarcus Cousins has sold the AMAZING Las Vegas estate where he's lived since 2017 ... and made a 7-figure profit to boot.

The pad is unreal -- complete with a home theater, basketball court and a massive outdoor pool with waterfalls and a slide!!

Cousins listed the property back in September 2020 for $8 million ... and got pretty close to his asking price ... closing the sale at $7.5 mil.

And, since he bought the place for $6.5 million, it turned out to be a pretty solid investment.

No word on who purchased the estate -- but the new owner will have 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a sports media room ... and there's an elevator inside the home!!

There's also a state-of-the-art gym -- perfect for the COVID-conscious 2021 world we're all still living in.

Oscar De La Hoya -- who's 48-years-old -- just confirmed he's returning to the boxing ring ... and will fight on July 3rd.

"July 3rd, I'm making my comeback," Oscar announced during a news conference for the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight.

Oscar then dropped his mic and walked off the stage without naming his opponent.

The fight will take place under Snoop Dogg's Fight Club banner -- which is teamed up with Triller, the social media platform behind the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren event.

Oscar hasn't had a pro fight since December 2008, when he lost to Manny Pacquiao -- but he's been talking about a comeback fight for months.

In fact, Oscar told ESPN back in August 2020 that he was starting to train and spar again in the hopes of getting back in the ring.

Oscar finished his legendary career with a 39-6 record when he hung up the gloves back in '08 -- with wins over superstars like Arturo Gatti, Hector Camacho, Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker.

After his fighting career, Oscar became a successful promoter -- who's repped stars like Canelo Alvarez and Ryan Garcia under his Golden Boy Promotions banner.

Clearly, Oscar is inspired by guys like Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr., who came out of retirement for an incredible return to the ring back in Nov. 2020.

The Tyson vs. Roy Jones fight was also produced by Triller -- which seems to be the connective tissue through all of these events.

Katherine Diaz -- one of El Salvador's top surfers -- died on Friday after she was hit in a lightning strike during a training session near her home.

The 22-year-old rising star -- who had been gunning to compete for El Salvador at the Olympics in Tokyo -- was surfing at a spot called El Tunco when the lightning storm hit.

Katherine's uncle Beto Diaz told a local media outlet his niece had gone to hug a friend she spotted at the surf spot when lightening struck.

"She, the friend, was thrown by the force of the lightening strike too, the board threw me back. Katherine died instantly."

Emergency personnel reportedly raced to the scene and scrambled to revive Diaz ... but it was too late.

Diaz was a rising star in the sport and beloved by the surf community in El Salvador.

She was expected to compete in the ISA World Surf Games in May -- the event is a qualifier for Olympics in Tokyo.

The International Surfing Association issued a statement on her death ... saying, "It is with a heavy heart that the ISA has learned about the passing of El Salvador’s Katherine Diaz."

"Katherine embodied the joy and energy that make surfing so special and dear to us all, as a global ambassador of the sport. She excelled at the international competition level, representing her country with pride at both the ISA World Surfing Games and ISA World Junior Surfing Championship."

"We send our heartfelt condolences to Katherine’s family, the surfers of El Salvador, and to all those in the international surfing community whose lives she touched."

"We will never forget you."

Tiger Woods is finally out of the hospital and recovering at home -- and assuring his fans he's "getting stronger every day."

"Happy to report that I am back home and continuing my recovery," Woods said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

"I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks."

"Thank you to the incredible surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Cedars Sinai Medical Center. You have all taken such great care of me and I cannot thank you enough."

Tiger continued, "I will be recovering at home and working on getting stronger every day."

The 45-year-old golfer suffered major damage to his right leg during a Feb. 23 car crash in the Rancho Palos Verdes area of Los Angeles.

Woods suffered comminuted open fractures to both his upper and lower tibia and fibula -- which required emergency surgery.

Doctors at Harbor-UCLA used a rod to stabilize the leg and screws to treat Tiger's badly damaged ankle.

He was moved to Cedars Sinai in the days following the crash where he continued his care.

Cops opened an investigation into the accident but officials say there were no obvious signs that Tiger was under the influence of any substance at the time of the crash.

Woods was in town for his Genesis Open golf tournament -- and had stuck around after it concluded to shoot promo videos with celebrities like Dwyane Wade and David Spade for Golf.com.

Yaphet Kotto -- the longtime actor known for his roles in "Midnight Run," "Alien" and "Live and Let Die" -- died Monday near Manila in the Philippines ... according to his wife.

Yaphet's wife, Tessie Sinahon, announced his death on Facebook, saying ... "This is a very painful moment for me to inform you all fans, friends and family of my husband." No cause of death was given.

Kotto reportedly came from Cameroonian royalty on his father's side ... but was born in NYC and began studying acting as a teenager. He made his theater debut in the late '50s in "Othello" and appeared on Broadway's "The Great White Hope."

This led to his first film roles in the '60s in "Nothing But a Man" and "The Thomas Crown Affair," and a guest-starring role as Marine Lance Corporal on "Hawaii Five-O."

Then, Yaphet broke through in a big way by playing the famous Bond villain, Mr. Big, in 1973's "Live and Let Die" opposite Roger Moore.

He would go on to land tough-guy roles in several popular movies ... like the engineer, Parker, in the 1979 blockbuster "Alien."

Kotto's other big films include "The Running Man" with Arnold Schwarzenegger and "Midnight Run" with Robert De Niro. In the '90s, he co-starred on the TV series "Homicide: Life on the Street," and also had an appearance years later on HBO's "The Wire."

He and his wife, who is from the Philippines, wed in Baltimore in 1998. He had 2 previous marriages and 6 children.

Yaphet was 81.

From Cy Young winner to Sock Puppets manager?!

Ex-MLB star Jack McDowell has done just that ... 'cause the Burlington Sock Puppets -- a developmental summer league team for collegiate baseball players -- just named him their new manager!

The squad -- which is part of the Appalachian League -- made the announcement Monday morning ... and McDowell said he's PUMPED for the opportunity.

"As a lifelong participant in the game of baseball, as both a coach and a player, I am thrilled to be managing the Burlington Sock Puppets this summer,” McDowell said in a statement.

"This opportunity is meaningful for me, and I cannot wait to impact the lives of countless collegiate baseball players in the Appalachian League this year. It is going to be a positive and fun season!"

If you're unfamiliar, the Appalachian League comprises of 10 teams in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia ... and it's designed to help rising freshman and sophomores in college refine their skills with wooden bats over a 54-game, summer season.

The Sock Puppets clearly believe McDowell has the goods to help their players best ... with the team's general manager, Anderson Rathbun, saying Monday, "We couldn't be more thrilled to have someone leading our team with a resume quite lack Jack's."

55-year-old McDowell won the Cy Young back in 1993 while pitching for the White Sox ... and he made the All-Star team 3 times in his 12-year, big-league career.

The maskless Uber rider seen on video coughing on her driver and yanking his mask off finally surrendered to police ... and she's facing some serious charges.

According to the San Francisco PD ... Arna Kimiai turned herself in to authorities Sunday and was booked into the San Fran County jail that night.

She's been hit with charges of robbery, assault and battery, conspiracy and violation of health and safety code. She's still in police custody.

Cops say Arna and her friend, Malaysia King, got into a March 7 altercation with their Uber driver because they weren't wearing masks.

By now you've seen the video, which seems to back up what police say ... that Arna reached over the driver from the backseat and snatched his phone. The driver was also allegedly pepper-sprayed as the women left his car ... although we don't see that in the video.

King was arrested last week and is facing similar charges as Kimiai.

We broke the story ... along with these legal issues, Kimiai is also being sued for a 2019 car crash in which the other driver claims she was seriously injured.

Breonna Taylor's death a year ago Saturday triggered a tense, violent confrontation in L.A. between protesters and police.

Two protesters jumped on the hood of an LAPD squad car ... the protesters began pounding on the hood and the car abruptly accelerated, hurling them onto the pavement.

Police showed up in riot gear as they faced off with protesters. Several businesses in the area were vandalized as well.

There were also demonstrations in New York and Louisville -- the city where Breonna Taylor was shot to death by police -- Saturday started out calm with a demonstration ... Breonna's mom, Tamika Palmer, was front and center.

The evening became tense as protesters blocked roads. Police declared an unlawful assembly and it appears the crowd began to disperse.

Protests also went down in Seattle, where cops faced off against demonstrators. Cops grabbed umbrellas held by some of the protesters and pushed back the crowd. Several demonstrators were arrested for various alleged crimes, including assaulting an officer, obstruction and resisting arrest.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be honored at the midpoint of Women's History Month ... it will be RBG day in the city where she grew up, and there's a new statue to memorialize the honor.

The statue of the late Supreme Court Justice was unveiled Friday in Brooklyn ... the place where she formed her values.

The Prez of Brooklyn Borough, Eric Adams, said, "RBG was clearly a symbol of what's great about this country and how, when we are inclusive, we can stop the level of exclusiveness that is pervasive throughout this country."

RBG had a say in the statute -- it was designed by Gillie and Marc Schattner while Ruth was still alive, and she gave it her stamp of approval.

As for honoring RBG during Women's History Month ... who better?  As a civil rights lawyer, she was the locomotive that propelled women's rights into the law books of America, and as a Supreme Court Justice, she fought hard to maintain and expand women's rights as well as the civil rights of others.

Seth Rogen's weed company is having some big issues on launch day, but it's a good problem to have ... his products are so popular its website crashed.

The "Pineapple Express" star debuted his Houseplant website Thursday for purchases, but it only took a few hours before high demand proved too much for Seth's site to handle.

The website went down around 10 AM PT, with Seth joking he's trying to learn how to write code to get it up and running again. He says the "insane traffic" overwhelmed the servers.

Seems there were problems right out of the gate, because even around 9 AM Seth was troubleshooting with customers who couldn't even get into the website's waiting room.

Stoners in Los Angeles can still get Seth's cannabis strains delivered by a third-party service, but anyone going to the Houseplant website is SOL when it comes to buying home goods ... like the $85 ashtray or the $220 table lighter.

Seth's preaching patience ... so feel free to light one up and wait this thing out.